Bluetooth is an open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using short length radio waves from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs) with high levels of security. A Bluetooth detector is a device that can read and record the unique Media Access Control (MAC) address of other Bluetooth devices that come into radio frequency range of the detector and attempt to establish a Bluetooth connection. When equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a Bluetooth detector can also record from where and at what time the unique MAC address was received.
Bluetooth detectors have been placed alongside roads to monitor traffic conditions. Two stationary Bluetooth detectors placed apart from each other alongside a road may observe a vehicle containing a detectable Bluetooth device at two different times. Each detector logs the MAC address of the device in the vehicle and the time of detection. This information may be used to calculate a travel time and speed for a detected vehicle to travel on the road between the two detectors.
While the traffic information obtained from these statically located Bluetooth detectors is useful, the information is limited to just the road located between the detectors. Due to the costs involved with installing and maintaining the Bluetooth detector equipment, it is unlikely that Bluetooth detectors will be deployed alongside roadways in a manner sufficient to cover large portions of a road network. Thus, it would be beneficial to obtain traffic information from Bluetooth detectors in another manner.